Novel yarn and fabric



June 1964 E. H. PITTMAN 3,136,111

NOVEL YARN AND FABRIC Original Filed Nov. 12, 1959 INVENTOR.

EDGAR HENRY PITT/VAN.

United States Patent 3,136,111 NOVEL YARN AND FABRIC Edgar Henry Pittman, Spartanburg, S.C., assignor to Deering Milliken Research Corporation, Spartanburg,

S.C., a corporation of Delaware Original application Nov. 12, 1959, Ser. No. 852,508, now Patent No. 3,095,630, dated July 2, 1963. Divided and this application Oct. 17, 1960, Ser. No. 63,128

8 Claims. (Cl. 57-140) This invention relates to novel intermittently elasticized and heat treated yarn.

According to this invention a novel texturized continuous filament yarn of thermoplastic material, such as nylon, Dacron, etc., is produced having linearly alternately elasticized heat relaxed and shrunk segments and segments which are substantially only partially elasticized and heat relaxed or substantially non-elasticized and non heat relaxed. This novel yarn may be produced through the passage of continuous filament thermoplastic yarn through a heating zone and then over a relatively cold, sharp-edged surface to impart a substantially permanent latent crimp thereto, and intermittently substantially reducing the application of heat to the yarn prior to passage over the sharp edge. In the illustrated embodiment this reduction in the amount of heat imparted to the yarn is effected mechanically through the medium of a lifter arm which is moved intermittently to raise the yarn off of a contact heater strip over which the yarn normally passes in engagement prior to passing over the sharp edge of a blade. This intermittent movement of the lifter arm and yarn may be effected in any desired manner and may be accomplished at periodic intervals or preferably at random intervals. The yarn which is processed according to this method may be single filament or preferably multifilament synthetic thermoplastic material of any desired content or blend, including nylon, Dacron, etc., nylon being the preferred yarn material. The novel yarn will have alternate segments Which are respectively both heat relaxed and permanently crimped (the crimp being substantially latent prior to development thereof by subsequent crimp developing treatment), corresponding to the segments which have fully engaged both the heater strip and the sharp blade edge, and substantially non-heat-relaxed or substantially less heat relaxed segments having only a partial or substantially no permanent crimp therein, corresponding to the segments which have passed over the blade edge with substantially less or no contact with the heater (i.e. which pass over the blade at a substantially colder temperature than the other substantially preheated segments of yarn). This yarn is particularly advantageous in providing novel design effects in fabrics which may be woven or knit therefrom. The latent crimp in the heat relaxed and permanently crimped segments and the shrinkage remaining in the un-heat relaxed segments may be subsequently developed in any suitable manner as by subjecting the yarn to hot moisture, hot air, or contact heater treatment, either before formation of a fabric therefrom or after formation of a fabric. If developed prior to formation of a fabric therefrom, the yarn may be heat developed in a substantially loose untensioned condition in order to permit maximum crimp development in the heat relaxed and latently crimped segments. It will be apparent that with maxi- 3,l36,l l l Patented June9, 1964 mum crimp development in this fashion, the un-heat relaxed and uncrimped segments will likewise be shrunk to a substantially maximum degree. Of course, one might develop the yarn to any lesser extent, as desired, before forming into a fabric, in order to achieve different effects in the fabric after full development therein. When developed in the fabric the fabric is preferably agitated in a bath of liquid, such as water, while gradually increasing the temperature of the bath of liquid to the maximum desired value (e.g. maximum temperature of l30-212 F.).

A preferred embodiment of an apparatus for producing yarn according to the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic illustration in perspective of a single yarn processing position showing the normal heat setting and crimping position of the apparatus and yarn in full lines and the reduced heat setting and crimping position of the apparatus and yarn in broken lines.

FIGURE 2 is a schematic illustration of a fully developed length of yarn according to the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a schematic view in perspective of a fabric constructed of yarn according to the invention, the yarn having been developed after formation of the fabric.

FIGURE 4 is a schematic section view illustrating the general apperance of the edge of the fabric along line 44.

Referring now in detail to the figures of the drawing, a thermoplastic yarn is progressed from a suitable yarn supply such as a bobbin or pirn 11 through a suitable guide arrangement 13 and tensioning device 15, through an intermittent texturizing device generally indicated at 17, and thence to a takeup device such as a ring and traveler twister takeup 18.

The yarn texturizing device 17 includes a yarn heating element in the form of a heater strip 19 over which the yarn Y normally passes in substantial contact, a sharpedged crimping element in the form of a sharp edged (e.g. edge radius of approximately .00l-.0003") blade 21 over which the yarn is passed through a relatively sharp approach and return angle subsequent to passage over the heater strip, and a yarn guide roll 23 suitably disposed for effecting the sharp angle of bend of the yarn over the blade edge 21a.

A lifter arm 25 is angularly adjustably secured on a pivot shaft 27 as by a collar 29 to which the arm may be secured as by welding, the collar being adjustably secured on the pivot shaft as by a set screw 29a. The pivot shaft 27 may be mounted on any suitable support (not shown) adjacent the heater and blade assembly, and extends rearwardly to a point behind the heater strip 19. The lifter arm 25 has an outer transverse end 25a which is formed for engagement beneath the yarn Y to lift the yarn upon clockwise pivotal movement of the pivot shaft 27 and arm 25 as viewed in the figure. This raising of the yarn lifter arm may be effected through any desired angle, and the angle may be varied to effect a desired amount of lifting of the yarn off the heater. It is normally preferred to raise the arm substantially completely off the heater in order to effect the greatest differentiation in the alternate segments of the yarn, although it will be apparent that in some instances it will be desirable to raise the yarn by a lesser amount, thereby only decreasing the amount of heat imparted thereto by the heater strip and effecting a less pronounced differentiation between the alternate segments of the yarn.

The lifter arm may be raised and lowered in any suitable manner at intermittent intervals which may be either periodic or preferably random. In the illustrated embodiment the lifter arm 25 is raised and lowered by imparting an oscillating motion to the shaft 27 through the medium of a solenoid 31 and return spring 33 connected in opposing relation to a lever arm 35 secured to the shaft. The armature 31a of the solenoid is suitably connected to the lever arm 35 and exerts a pull thereon to lower the lifter arm 25 and the yarn when the solenoid is energized as by any suitable intermittent signal generating device 37. The arm 25 is raised under the influence of the return spring 33. The angle of movement of the lifter arm may be restricted by the engagement of the solenoid armature 314 with the opposite ends of the solenoid coil winding casing 31b, or other stops may be suitably employed to effect this limiting action on the lifter arm movement if desired.

In processing the raw yarn to produce the novel yarn according to the present invention, I have found that the tension of the yarn may be varied over a substantial range dependent upon the denier of the yarn and the nmnber of filaments therein, as well as the particular material of the yarn. In carrying out the invention with the illustrated apparatus I have noted that the tension of the yarn while fully engaging the heater is normally lower than the tension of the yarn in the raised position. For example, the tension of the yarn on the output side of the blade 21 when the yarn is engaged fully on the heater in the normally running position may be between -7 grams for 30 denier, filament, nylon yarn, with the tension of the yarn in the raised position being 810 grams or the like, this being merely by way of illustration. In order to accentuate the pattern differentiation between the treated and substantially untreated segments of the yarn the tension may be increased. In order to effect substantially permanent crimp in the heated segments 41, the temperature of the heater strip 19 should be sufficiently high to raise the temperature of the yarn Y or at least the surface temperature of the yarn to a point between the second order transition point and the first order transition point for the particular yarn being run. This temperaure in the yarn may normally be obtained by maintaining the heater strip at a temperature approximately the same as or slightly higher than the temperature to which it is desired to heat the yarn while in contact therewith, depending upon the rate of yarn travel therepast.

In FIGURE 2 there is schematically shown a single multi-filamcnt yarn which has been processed according to the present invention and which has been subjected to a full development of the latent bulk and crimp imparted to the yarn by the intermittent bulking and crimping apparatus as described above. The bulked and crimped portions of the yarn are indicated by the numeral 41, whereas the substantially unbulked and uncrimped portions of the yarn are indicated at 43. The bulked portions correspond to those incremental segments of the yarn wherein the yarn removal arm is in the nonremoving portion and the initial portions of its removing and replacing portion, whereas the substantially nonbulked and noncrimped portions of the yarn represent those incremental segments which have been passed through the apparatus while the yarn removal arm is in a position to effect substantially full removal of the yarn from the heater. It will be noted that there is a gradual change between the maximum crimped and bulked portions of the segments 41 and the adjacent substantially uncrimped and unbulked incremental segments 43. This results from the fact that there is not an immediate change from full engagement to substantially no engagement of the yarn with the heater, inasmuch as there is a time element involved in raising and lowering the yarn by the yarn removal arm away from and toward the heater, and during this time the yarn continues to progress over the heater and adjacent sharp edge. It will be apparent, however, that while gradual change is often desirable, and is the preferred form of practice of the invention, the invention may also be practiced by substantially full removal of the yarn from the heater element with comparatively little transition time lapse during removal and replacement, in order to effect a comparatively abrupt differential between the heat-set, elasticized, and bulked incremental segments and the substantially unbulked and unheat-set segments.

In FIGURE 3 there is schematically illustrated a fabric P which has been formed of a yarn according to the present invention, the fabric having been made from the yarn prior to development of the yarn and the yarn having been developed after formation of the fabric. Due to this subsequent development of the yarn in situ in the fabric there is both a development of bulk and elasticity of the yarn in those incremental segments 41 which were passed over the blade in substantially heated relation as a result of being in substantial contact with the heater, and also a creping effect imparted to the fabric areas having these segments therein as a result of heat shrinkage of the basically unheated edge-crimp treated incremental segments 43 which did not receive any substantial heat development during their passage about the heater element. The elasticized and bulked segments are indicated in the fabric at 41a by the raised and more bulky areas, and it will be noticed that the appearance of the creping or Wrinkles 41a in the face of the fabric is enhanced by the relatively flat areas 43a where the yarn segments 43. lie. While this one particular embodiment of a fabric is illustrated, it will be understood that this is only by way of example, and that many other constructions might be made within the scope of the invention, such as the development of the yarn prior to formation in the fabric, the formation of the fabric with the yarn in both the warp and the filling, etc.

While this invention has been illustrated and described with reference to a single physical embodiment of an apparatus for practice thereof, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the foregoing description that many modifications and improvements may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. It is therefore to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the presently illustrated embodiment but only by the scope of the appended claims.

This application is a division of application Serial Number 852,508, filed November 12, 1959, now US. Patent No. 3,095,630.

That which is claimed is:

1. A novelty yarn having heat set non-torque crimped segments intermittently spaced along its length, said crimped segments having gradually decreasing crimp at their end portions, said segments being separated one from another by further non-torque crimped segments which are not heat set, said yarn being further deformable by post heating treatments to develop the heat set and non heat set segments.

2. A novelty yarn according to claim 1 wherein the yarn is a multifilament yarn, each of said crimped segments having a degree of bulk which is a function of the degree of crimp along the length of the segment.

3. A fabric made of yarn according to claim 2.

4. A fabric made of yarn according to claim 1.

5. A novelty fabric formed of thermoplastic crimped yarn having intermittently unheat-set contractible yarn segments and heat-set segments along its length, the heatset segments having therein heat developable latent yarncrimp-etfecting non-torque coil-forming stresses capable of forming gradually decreasing crimp at the end portions thereof,

6. A novelty fabric formed of thermoplastic crirnped yarn having therein intermittently spaced unheat-set contractible segments and heat-set segments along its length, the heat-set segments having heat developable latent yarn-crimp-eflecting nontorque coil forming stresses capable of forming gradually decreasing crimp at the end portions thereof, the fabric being characterized by a creping effect in the areas surrounding said originally unheat-set segments and formed by said heat-set latent crimp-effecting segments, and being further characterized by an elastic crimp bulking of the segments originally having latent crimp therein.

7. The novelty yarn of claim 1 wherein same is nylon.

8. The novelty fabric of claim 6 wherein same is nylon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Dreyfus Aug. 10, 1937 Keen Feb. 16, 1954 Matthews et al. Mar. 3, 1959 Comer et a1 Jan. 24, 1961 Davenport et al. Sept. 12, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS Austria May 25, 1959 Great Britain Dec. 30, 1943 Great Britain Jan. 25, 1956 

1. A NOVELTY YARN HAVING HEAT SET NON-TORQUE CRIMPED SEGMENTS INTERMITTENTLY SPACED ALONG ITS LENGTH, SAID CRIMPED SEGMENTS HAVING GRADUALLY DECREASING CRIMP AT THEIR END PORTIONS, SAID SEGMENTS BEING SEPARATED ONE FROM ANOTHER BY FURTHER NON-TORQUE CRIMPED SEGMENTS WHICH ARE NOT HEAT SET, SAID YARN BEING FURTHER DEFORMABLE BY POST HEATING TREATMENTS TO DEVELOP THE HEAT SET AND NON HEAT SET SEGMENTS.
 6. A NOVELTY FABRIC FORMED OF THERMOPLASTIC CRIMPED YARN HAVING THEREIN INTERMITTENTLY SPACED UNHEAT-SET CONTRACTIBLE SEGMENTS AND HEAT-SET SEGMENTS ALONG ITS LENGTH THE HEAT-SET SEGMENTS HAVING HEAT DEVELOPAGLE LATENT YARN-CRIMP-EFFECTING NONTORQUE COIL FORMING STRESSES CAPABLE OF FORMING GRADUALLY DECREASING CRIMP AT THE END PORTIONS THEREOF, THE FABRIC BEING CHARACTERIZED BY A CREPING EFFECT IN THE AREAS SURROUNDING SAID ORIGINALLY UNHEAT-SET SEGMENTS AND FORMED BY SAID HEAT-SET LATENT CRIMP-EFFECTING SEGMENTS, AND BEING FURTHER CHARACTERIZED BY AN ELASTIC CRIMP BULKING OF THE SEGMENTS ORIGINALLY HAVING LATENT CRIMP THEREIN. 